The functioning of the American health care system is being adversely affected by an erosion of trust among all its critical players-patients, providers, purchasers, insurance companies etc. Increasing distrust raises administrative costs, increases malpractice litigation, decreases patient compliance, and generates unproductive conflict among health sector organizations. We propose to organize a national conference to present research on the causes and consequences of rising distrust and on best practices for increasing trust in various settings. It will also identify future research needs to improve our understanding of how to building through both improved performance and more effective communication. A diverse faculty will be drawn from a variety of backgrounds: industry executives, government officials, journalists, academics, and health care providers. A nationally distributed book reporting the conference proceedings will be produced and conference participants will receive a variety of useful materials to use in their professional practice. The conference will take place in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 13- 15, 2002.